Certain restaurants opt not to provide food delivery for a couple of reasons. For some, it’s because they don’t have the capacity (kitchen size, staff, and delivery equipment). Other restaurants believe that one of their strengths is in the quality of freshly-made food and the presentation (plating) of their dishes, which could be ruined during delivery. While the rest believe that offering food delivery “cheapens” their restaurant’s image; this holds true in exclusive and high-end restaurants that often have long waitlist and reservations.
The Perks of Food Delivery
However, for restaurants who wish to offer food delivery, there are undoubtedly many advantages and benefits in doing so. First off, it can augment your restaurant’s earning capacity — more people can have access to your food, which means more business. Next, a thriving food delivery service can help grow your brand and name, which is perfect if you’re new in the market. Of course, there’s also the benefit of being able to find serve more people when your restaurant has limited seating capacity. That said, let’s take a look at practical and easy-to-remember tips for your restaurant’s food delivery service:
# It’s Not For Everyone (or Everything)
First off, you need to determine whether or not a food delivery service is appropriate for your restaurant. As mentioned earlier, some restaurants shy away from food delivery as it can compromise the quality and presentation of their dishes, and also their restaurant’s image (particularly if they pride themselves as a high-end exclusive restaurant).
If you do decide to offer delivery service, you have to be stringent when it comes to which dishes are available for delivery — some recipes may end up getting ruined or taste different during long transits. The bottom line is that you shouldn’t compromise your quality and image to augment your earning capacity.
#2 You Don’t Have to Deliver it (Yourself)
Restaurants who want to offer food delivery often hesitate as it would mean that they’ll need to have a delivery vehicle, a food delivery container to keep the food fresh and safe, and a delivery staff. However, with the rise of food delivery apps and businesses, you can outsource your food delivery service.
However, you should be picky with our food delivery outsourcing options, only partner with those that are well-reviewed and are known to safely delivery food on-time, and with no issues. Remember, even if you’re outsourcing the delivery aspect, a bad delivery experience can still reflect on your restaurant.
#3 Watch the Packaging
Even if you outsource your food delivery, they’ll only be able to provide you with the delivery container/box to keep the food safe and warm in transit. You’ll still need to ensure that the containers and boxes where you put the actual food (or beverage) in is spill-proof, insulated, tamper-resistant, heat-resistant (to avoid punching a hole through the container), and is presentable.
Speaking of the latter, your food’s packaging should reflect the quality and image of the restaurant, so you may want to consider looking for companies that offer custom packaging design for your food containers, so you’d have personalised, professional-looking, and secure food packages. Having an aesthetically-pleasing food delivery container is social-media-worthy, and people are more likely to take pictures of their delivered food and share it over social media (which can provide your restaurant’s brand mileage).
The Take-Away
Food delivery service can be a huge boon to your restaurant but makes sure that you’re not sacrificing your food’s quality and your restaurants’ brand in doing so. Lastly, always prioritise safety and quality when deciding on delivering food — if your dishes won’t be able to arrive to your customer’s doorstep in the quality you want it, then you may have to reconsider.
